From the Mouths of Babes
by Warp Ligia Obscura
Summary: A girl asks her mother a tough question. Serious crack pairing oneshot.


FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

Authored by Warp Ligia Obscura

Disclaimer: The _Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha_ original concept does not belong to me, as do any of the characters and concepts not mine. Concepts and characters variably registered in Japan, the United States of America and other countries around the world. Used without official permission. No challenge to their status intended. All Rights Reserved to their respective owners. This is a work of fiction. Any real-world events, locations, organisations or persons cited are used fictitiously for parody or satire purposes and strictly not to be taken as a proper reflection of their actual self.

ThisisjustasectionsplitterPleaseignoreit

The little girl ran to her teacher and tugged on her hand. "Mummy's here! Mummy's here!"

"I'm sorry for being late, Mrs. Aston," the woman said, bowing slightly as she took the girl's bag.

"Let's gooooooo!" The girl said, grabbing hold of her mother's arm.

The woman smiled and led the girl out as the latter waved goodbye to her teacher. "How was school today?"

"We, erm," she looked skyward, lips pursed in thought, "we learned about animals! Big ones!" She spread her hands wide. "Like the, the," she wrung her hands around her head, "lion and the," she lowered her head to her right arm and crossed the other over it, "array-fund-"

"Elephant, dear."

"-And the, and the..." The girl trailed off. "Mummy, where's daddy?"

The woman stopped abruptly and squeezed her hands tight.

"Mummy? Mummy? What- ow! Ow!" Tears started to well up in the girl's eyes.

The woman jumped in surprise, having forgotten that she was holding the girl's hand, and let go, twiddling her fingers nervously. "I... I'm very sorry, dear! I... didn't mean to..."

The girl squatted and leaned against a nearby wall, rubbing the affected hand as she bit back tears. When the woman tried to hold her close, the girl pushed back feebly. After a while, she managed to look the woman in the eyes and say, ""My friends talked about our daddies and mummies and," she gestured at herself, "when it was my turn, I, I didn't know what to say."

The woman looked pained. She had been told that the time would come when she would need to speak of the issue with her child, but she had not expected it to be so sudden and soon.

"Your father..." The woman started hesitantly, rubbing her hands together, "was a great man. He helped save the multiverse twice."

"Mao-tie-verse? What's that?"

The woman paused to consider this. "You know how we're on one world? Out in the multiverse, there are many, many worlds. More than you can count."

"Er..." The girl blinked rapidly, trying to take in what she had just been told. "Many, many more?"

The woman smiled in approval of her child's understanding. She would go far. "Yes, dear, many more. I'll be able to tell you more when you're older, okay?"

"Okay!" The girl nodded rapidly, grinning widely.

"Anyway, about your father..."

"Yes, mummy?"

"Your… your aunt was in big trouble."

"Big...?"

"Your aunts and uncles, along with mummy, helped to save her. However, the problem would come back."

"... Oh."

"The only way we knew to solve it for good was-"

The girl's eyes filled with horrified comprehension. "For daddy to go away?" She asked, half-shouting, causing a few curious passers-by to glance at them.

The woman looked back at the girl, sparkling tears slowly streaming down her face.

"Mummy? Why, why are you crying? You keep saying that, that good big girls don't cry."

The woman sniffled. "No, sweetie. Mummy was supposed to be the one to go away."

"What?" The girl clutched her mother's arm to herself a little too tightly. "Why?"

"But your daddy... He decided to go away himself rather than let me." She sniffled again and reached up with her free hand to wipe the tears away. After a while, she managed to say, "Now, let's go." She helped the girl to her feet.

The girl was silent for much of the rest of the walk, but when they were almost home, she suddenly said, "Mummy, do you have any pictures of yourself and daddy?"

The woman considered this for a moment, then reached for her phone and called up an image.

It was of Reinforce and Yuuno.

ThisisjustasectionsplitterPleaseignoreit

A/N: The refusal to use names was a deliberate ploy to leave you readers wondering who I was referring to until the last. I wrote this with a Yuuforce Bad End in mind, where instead of going in to save Rein years after the end of the Incident, Yuuno chooses to take Rein's place (however that works) but leaves a… memoir behind.

Thanks to my pals Avenged, Jarheaded and Sevensixtwo for beta-/proofreading.


End file.
